The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1887-10-21
PRoHrBrrroN:rN KANSAS

cuse for their position against prohibition
on the plea that II does not prohibit AZ on
any other grounds, But II Il only an ex.
cuse. Reliable authority proves that In
Kansas,th example state,It does prohibit.
The following from Attorney General
Bradford of Kansas to gentleman at The
Dalles Is the strongest evidence 10 be OBJ.
tanned
When the prohIbltory law Of 1851 wac
enacted, was then county attorney Of
Usage county. county inhabited largely
by miners, great number Of whom were
foreigners whose habits OF life had been
fixed before coming 10. this country, and
who absolutely believed the prohibItory
law was unjust and tyrannlcai, and that
they were justified In swearing falsely up.
on the stand In order 10 protect themselves
from lie operation. had great difficulty
In enforcing the law In osage county -
county attorney and felt relieved when my
term Of Office expired. After having been
elected to the Office now hold, the lsglsla.
ture--whether acting upon their observa-
ton OF my experience As prosecutor In
Usage county, or not, am unable 10 say
put a provision In the law Of 1855 max.
ing Il the duty OF the attorney general 10
enforce he prohibltory law In every eoun.
~ where the county attorney failed, neg.
ieeted or refused, or II from any cause the
fa.. had ,.nf ka.n sufa-aaI That savo~f.
sion of the law more than doubled the du.
ties OF this Office and brought down upon
me deluge of curses and praises that viii
long be remembered. went At the vlo-
lators of the law with ungloved hands. and
At the close Of the year 1885 to see what
the results had been ! addressed = com.
munleation TO each OF the county aitor.
neys,clerks OF the court. and probate judg.
es. with the view OF aseertaining the mum.
ber of saloons then In the counties and the
number Of cases prosecuted, and the gen
eral result OF the years work. | found
that the saloons had been decreased 81
per cent and that there was general good
result reported. The Legislature OF 1886,
az my suggestion, made new amendments
70 the prohIbitory law. Al the close Of
the year 1886. again made summary oi
the results Of the enforcement Of the law,
and found an increased benefit but also
found that there was an imperfeetion In
the Prohibilory law OF 1886, permit
tel the drug stores TO sell liquors simply
upon the statement Of the Individual who
desired the liquor, that II was necessary
for medicinal, scientific or mechanical pur.
poses. suggested 10 the legislature the
propriety or amending the Law restricting
the sale by the druggists Of the state. and
Fequiring persons applying therefor to &C
company their application for the liquo'
for the accepted purposes with an affidavit
giving the disease for which IL was neces
sary, or the mechanical or scientific pur
pose for which II was desired, the aame oi
the patient, II required for medicine, and
that the pebon applying sign his own
name TO the application. also suggested
that there be restriction or penalty placed
upon the sale of liquor by the druggists
for any other purpose except that fol-
which Intoxicating liquors could be bene
icialiy used as a medicine. This had this
tendency to Immediately decrease the sale
of Intoxicating liquors in Kansas. Since
this law went into effect,I have caused an
other series of questions to be answered
by the various county officials, also BY OF
ficers of the penitentiary, with view oi
ascertaining the effect OF prohibition upor
crime, pauperism and insanity. am now
armed with series Of statistical tables or
the subject of the effect of prohibition on
crime,the other tables not being yet com
pleted. | have taken the same number oi
years prior TO prohibition that prohibitions
has been in effect In Kansas, with view
OF comparing the percentage Of crime tc
the population before prohibition that we
have had since prohibition has been In CT
feet. These tables show the convictions
In every county in the state for the sever
al years from 1874 to 1887, inclusive, ane
for what crimes they were convicted anc
sent to the penitentiary. We find that Ii
the year 1880, the last year Of the dram
shop act, there were aoI convictions fol
felonies in the state Of Kansas, with pop
ulation OF little less than 100000 peo
pie. Although the population of Kansal
was continually increasing year by year
we did not reach the maximum Of 2oI un
til in the year 1885, at which time We has
population of I,47S,ooo people, showing
decrease in crime since prohibition o
more than 25 per cent. Take the crimes
that would be the natural outgrowth o
broiIs, saloon rows, and other crimes in
cident to the intemperate use of intoxicat
ing liquors, and the decrease is even great
er than IS per cent There Is one thing
that must be taken into consideration II
figuring this result that would be agains
the favorable showing on the subject o.
prohibition, and that Is that in 1886 thers
was no city in the state with a greater
population than about 10000, and perhap.
not more than three or four cities In tht
state with population greater than 10000
while now we have four or five cities in
the state with population of 10000. reach.
ing as high as 10000, and more than TWEEN,
ty citiesin the state with populations rang.
ing about 10000 and it is safe to say that
densely populated districts, such as cities
and towns, has tendency to increase
crime Iexpectin in the near future to have
complete compilation Of these figures
and statistical tables on the subject OF the
effect of prohibition on crimes, pauperism
and insanity and when completed will take
pleasure in sending you a copy. am
satisfied that the showing of the effect OF